Getting more junk mail? That's a political issue

Did you register to vote this year? Donate to a political campaign or cause? Sign a petition for a special interest group? Then you may have unwittingly put yourself on a marketing list.

Many voters are unaware that information they gave out for political purposes can be sold to private interests and end up in the hands of marketers, who use it to pitch products and services from new mortgages to magazines.

Voter registration rolls and campaign contribution records, which contain a wealth of personal data, are public records. Florida is one of 22 states with no restrictions on private companies purchasing that information.

Data brokers, who generate $10 billion in revenue a year, match those records against other information people voluntarily have surrendered through things such as sweepstakes entries and satisfaction surveys. They then create lists that can be used by various industries to solicit potential customers with telemarketing schemes, direct-mail offers and other sales pitches.

"You take a little bit from this record and a little bit from that record, and you can develop a pretty accurate picture of someone," said Paul Stephens, director of policy and advocacy for the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a nonprofit organization based in San Diego.

By combining data sets, brokers can deliver micro-targeted lists to their clients. For example, you could get pre-approval for a specialty credit card because the soliciting company knows how much you make, if you own your home, what organizations you belong to and what catalogs you receive.

Yet most political enthusiasts don't realize that while their vote may be private, much of what else they do leading up to Election Day is not. A survey of 2,552 people nationwide by Harris Interactive earlier this year found 69 percent of people were unaware that donating to a political campaign could result in the sharing of their personal information.

"It's all legal. But our research indicates that people have no idea that all this data about them is being bought, sold and traded every day," said Steve Gal, the chairman and CEO of QuoPro, the San Diego-based company that commissioned the Harris survey.

There's no way for citizens to remove their names from voting or contribution databases, Gal said. And while the federal "Do Not Call" list (donotcall.gov) can curb telemarketing calls, it doesn't apply to direct mail.

But there are steps you can take to limit marketing pitches.

Services like QuoPro helps consumers opt out of mailing and telemarketing lists for products they don't want, such as pre-approved credit offers, Gal said.

The service is free to consumers, and about a million have registered with the site. QuoPro makes its money by giving registrants' contact information to marketers of products that QuoPro users said interested them.

Consumers also can go to the privacy clearinghouse Web site, at privacyrights.org, and get detailed instructions on how to get off mailing lists for catalogs, fliers and other types of direct-mail advertising.

Gal said consumers also can control how much of their personal information goes up for sale by avoiding risky habits not associated with elections, such as entering sweepstakes, filling out warranty cards and applying for credit cards at a retail store.

Stephens also steers away from petitions, as many people may get a look at the information you put on a clipboard. Signatures often are not being collected by volunteers supporting a cause but by traveling freelancers who get paid by the name, Stephens said.

"Any time you give up your information voluntarily, you really don't know what will be done with it," he said.

Diane Lade can be reached at dlade@SunSentinel.com or 954-356-4295 or 561-243-6618.

Stay junk free

Tips for getting off and staying off annoying junk mail lists. >>Page 2

INFORMATIONAL BOX:

Tips to avoid marketers' lists

Ask any nonprofit organization or charity that you sign up with exactly what they will do with your information.

Check the fine print. By signing in at a seminar or sending away for a freebie, you may be giving marketers permission to contact you.